Police agree to improve crisis response for non-English speakers

In April, 2004, PAI and five Asian community organizations met with Chief Heather Fong of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). Participants talked about two shootings that involved Chinese men with psychiatric disabilities. The organizations and PAI had asked for the meeting because of concerns about SFPD's ability to respond to people with psychiatric disabilities who speak little or no English and who are in crisis.

Gunshots fired

In November 2003, SFPD officers shot Xi Tao Wu on a fire escape in Chinatown. They were responding to a call for help from Wu's father. Wu had no history of criminal or dangerous behavior. But he was seriously injured by the gunshot.

In March 2004, SFPD officers in the Tenderloin District used bean bag guns to shoot Jian Yu. As a result, Yu lost the use of his right eye.

Language barriers played a role

In both cases, it appeared that language barriers played a role in SFPD's failure to resolve the crises without violence. Both Wu and Yu had psychiatric disabilities. Chinese was their first language. In the Wu case, a Chinese-speaking officer was reportedly with Wu's parents outside the apartment at the time of the shooting. In the Yu case, a Chinese-speaking office reportedly arrived after the shooting and only interviewed witnesses.

Guide tells how to get translations

In response to concerns raised at the meeting, SFPD drafted a department bulletin to guide officers on how to get translation services for people who do not speak much English. SFPD also gave officers language identification cards to help them figure out which language a person speaks. That way, they can get appropriate interpreting services through a telephone language line service.

SFPD improves crisis intervention training

SFPD also began a roll call training for officers on how to interact with people in psychiatric crisis. This training would be part of SFPD's 40-hour crisis intervention training, given four times a year. SFPD began plans to train all of its patrol officers in crisis intervention. SFPD also planned to speed up training for its certified bilingual officers.

Better crisis services needed for people who do not speak English

In the meantime, PAI and other organizations continue to work with SFPD to improve services for people in psychiatric crisis who do not speak English. Charis Moore, a staff attorney with PAI's investigations unit, represented PAI at the meetings. Other organizations involved were the Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Chinatown Community Development Center, and NICOS Chinese Health Coalition.